While the bride may do a great deal of the planning leading up to “I Do,” it’s the groom who’s tasked with coming up with the perfect way to pop the question. Styles range from casual, to elaborate, romantic and everything in between. The good news is, just like weddings, there is something for everyone and at the end of the day, it’s about celebrating two people in love.

Here are some of our favorites to inspire and entertain you!

This groom takes it literally with a live lip-dubbed song and dance featuring the couple’s family and friends to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You.”

Or, maybe you’re one of those couples that’s always known marriage was in the cards. This groom sent his love on a day of pampering and relaxation all the while knowing he was waiting at the end of it. The proposal is just as heartfelt as if she never saw it coming.

Choosing your wedding vendors can seem like an overwhelming task. With so many elements to today’s weddings, you are entering into contracts with a dozen or more people who will basically handle the most important parts of your day. How do you choose the right vendors for you?

Don’t fear! Usually your venue will be the first place that can help you navigate through the endless options. At The Willow Room, for example, we offer a preferred vendor list to our couples. You can find that list on our website here.

These vendors are ones we have personally worked with and found to reflect the style and quality consistent with our couple’s expectations of our venue. They also offer special deals and incentives for our couples.

If your venue doesn’t offer something similar, you can head online and visit sites like The Knot or WeddingWire and use their search functionality to find vendors in your area.

Here are our Top 10 tips when choosing wedding vendors:

1. Set interviews with potential vendors, either via phone or in-person and make sure they understand your vision.

2. Work with people who make you feel comfortable.

3. If you get recommendations from a vendor you have already contracted, to work with another vendor, follow-up. For instance, your bakery may work with a florist. Their experience in working together will be vital in a consistent look and feel to your big day.

4. Read over the fine print and make sure you understand everything in the contract. For example, a photographer may tell you you cannot share your photos online without a watermark, while others may have a more relaxed policy.

5. Don’t always look for the cheapest price. Look for what works best for you. Every vendor has different capabilities and depending on your day, cheaper may be the wrong way to go.

6. Decide your splurge. Maybe it’s the photographer, maybe it’s the DJ. Usually there is one area of the wedding that couples really want to focus on. If dancing is what you’re all about, invest in the right DJ. On the other hand, for an outdoor daytime wedding without dancing, flowers and decor may be more important.

7. Discuss your options as a couple. If one of you doesn’t have a good gut feeling, it’s best to make another choice.

8. Ask for advice on social media and on wedding forums and blogs. You will be able to see real people’s reviews and testimonials of vendor services.

9. Do your research online. Look at vendor’s websites, social media networks and brochures, and see which ones fit with your requirements.

10. Have fun! Choosing your vendors is such an exciting part of your wedding planning. Don’t let it stress you out. Just take one day at a time and remember it’s perfectly alright to ask for help. Your bridal party, your parents, your siblings, your friends, they are there to support you as you enter the next chapter.

One of the great things about getting married in this day and age is that when it comes to your reception, there is no right or wrong way to go about it. Case in point, a picnic theme. While wicker and gingham might not be the first things that come to mind, there are endless ways to bring the laid back vibes of a picnic into a wedding, no matter how casual or formal you’d like it to be. And – great news is, no need to worry about ants or rain clouds when your “picnic” is inside!

Invitations

Brown kraft paper, simple doilies and the quintessential red gingham will leave no doubt in guests’ minds what to expect on your big day.

Picnic food is simple and comfort at its finest. Allow guests to mingle amongst stations or tables instead of a formal sit down meal. Or make it family style with dishes passed around. Either way, let guests know what’s for dinner with chalkboard menus.

For all the images that come to mind when one thinks, ‘summer,’ perhaps that of the sea is one of the season’s most quintessential. After all, most would say that beaches, boats and all things blue are best enjoyed with blue skies and a cool breeze.

Not every bride has the luxury of saying “I Do” on a sandy shore, but there are plenty of ways to give your wedding a nautical twist.

InvitationsGet creative with your invites. Use the coordinates of your ceremony location or antique map prints from bodies of water near where you live or either sides’ ancestry.

Guest Book
Unrolling guests’ well wishes in this message in a bottle themed guestbook will aid in savoring your big day for many years to come. Large glass bottles should be easily spotted at flea markets and antique shops. Try buying a few in different sizes to make for a pretty display in your first home together as a married couple.

We have an awesome special to share with all of you! It’s our new $10,000 all-inclusive wedding package. Priced for up to 100 people and it includes tax and service charge!!

Your Package includes:
Venue for 5 hours
Bridal Suite with Bridal Butler
White Ivory or Black Linens and choice of Napkin
House Bar Package
Champagne Toast for Bridal Party
Choice of Soup or Salad
Two Single or One Duo Entrée
Custom Wedding Cake with Cutting and Service
Coffee Station
Fresh Floral Centerpieces
DJ (up to 5 hours)
Photographer (up to 8 hours)
Bridal dance with Attendant
Customized Room Layout and Design
Professional Vendor References
Invitation for Two to Tasting Event

This package is valid for any new clients booking weddings in 2015 but it must be booked by May 31, 2015 to receive the discounted rate. Call Cara at 724-379-5666 or email gm@thewillowroom.com today to schedule a tour, ask questions, or check date availability!

All that glitters is not gold – especially on your wedding day! Whether you fancy silver, pink, blue or the glow of yellow, you can literally accent any part of your ceremony or reception with glitter.

For the past 15 years, Lethal DJ Services has provided the ultimate entertainment experience for wedding and all other private events by providing innovative sound and lighting packages with the latest technologies in sound, lighting and video equipment.

Wedding packages are designed to fit any budget providing up to 6 hours without compromising quality!

Lethal DJ Services performs at the highest level of professionalism with great musical knowledge and personalities that will motivate you to dance! They believe that clients’ and their guests should have an experience like no other when they are performing!

They offer unique and creative features and services such as: ‘Text Request’ feature, and each DJ comes equipped with their own personalized DJ booth with a large display label on the front with their name and phone number. They also offer L.E.D. up-lighting with vibrant fixtures that can display over 75 different colors.

They offer personalized monograms that can display a large L.E.D. image on the dance floor or wall and they offer, ‘Love Story’ movie that displays a short HD film created, captured and directed by Lethal DJ Services owner, Jeremy Gerba. This movie is approximately 25-30 minutes in length and makes the bride and groom the lead actors, telling their love story for their guests displayed on 55” or 65” L.E.D. TV’s or projectors at The Willow Room ballroom.

Copies of the movie are also provided to the bride and groom with full personalized graphic cover and light-scribe DVD or Blu-Ray.

Live music can also be performed with Lethal DJ Services full band that includes sound stage and effect lighting and couples can select Full Band/DJ Combo Package, giving them an experience like no other! They also have a guitarist and vocalist that can be booked for cocktail hour.

Lethal DJ Services has a 5 Star rating on Facebook, The Knot, and Wedding Wire!

For more information, please visit their website or check them out on Facebook. Here are some photos of Lethal DJ Services performing at The Willow Room and more. All photos courtesy of Lethal DJ Services.

Just because your wedding reception includes a roof and four walls doesn’t mean you can’t find elements of the outdoors – both big and small – to make it feel like you’re celebrating the day away with Mother Nature. No need for a green thumb here – your guests will delight in touches of the beauty of nature without the bugs!

Escort CardsUpon entering the reception, direct your guests to their seats with sweet succulents adorned with flags. These readily available mini greenery can also double as an easy-to-carry and hard to forget wedding favor.

DécorTry the next best thing to having live trees at your reception with fresh baby’s breath atop a slab of wood. This makes for an ultra-affordable centerpiece, especially if you or a family member has a tree that’s willing to part with a few branches.

The Roaring 20s may have been nearly a century ago, but the decade’s affinity to host a grand celebration isn’t likely to become a dying fad anytime soon. Overindulgence was more normal than rare for many – including the characters in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The book has become synonymous with the times. If you, too, are a fan, here are some ways to bring it to life on your wedding or shower day. Just a few will easily carry out a theme, but if you’re staying true to form, you may want to incorporate every one!

Pay homage to F. Scott Fitzgerald by displaying one of his many poetic quotes about love during your reception.

No Prohibition laws here. Wow your guests with a champagne tower at the entrance to your reception. You may not be able to replicate the flow of bubbly, but your guests will certainly notice your nod to the times with these vintage coup glasses.

Leave your guests with a lasting impression of indulgence and glamour by sending them home with a slice of art deco wedding cake. The ultimate over-the-top send-off to ensure the sweetest (and most decadent) of dreams!